17 fascinating things you never knew about Thanksgiving

November 15, 2018 4:17 PM

1. The first Thanksgiving was actually a three-day celebration.
Today, Thanksgiving is one day — maybe two, if you count Black Friday. But the Pilgrims wanted to party even harder. Gov. William Bradford organized the feast, inviting the Plymouth colonists' Native American allies. When the Wampanoag Indian guests came and joined the Pilgrims, they decided to extend the affair. less

1. The first Thanksgiving was actually a three-day celebration.
Today, Thanksgiving is one day — maybe two, if you count Black Friday. But the Pilgrims wanted to party even harder. Gov. William Bradford ... more

Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG Via Getty Images

1. The first Thanksgiving was actually a three-day celebration....photo-14504761.187324 - |ucfirst

2. It's unclear if colonists and Native Americans ate turkey at their feast.

There is truly no definitive proof that the bird we wait all year to eat was even offered to guests in 1621. But, they did indulge in other interesting foods such as lobster, seal and swan.

3. Today, a special part of Plymouth, Massachusetts, looks just as it did in the 17th century.
Modeled after an English village and a Wampanoag homesite, the historic attraction Plimoth Plantation stays true to its roots. You can order tickets as early as June to attend a Thanksgiving dinner complete with numerous authentic courses, tales of colonial life and centuries-old songs. less

3. Today, a special part of Plymouth, Massachusetts, looks just as it did in the 17th century.
Modeled after an English village and a Wampanoag homesite, the historic attraction Plimoth Plantation stays true ... more

Photo: AGF/UIG Via Getty Images

3. Today, a special part of Plymouth, Massachusetts, looks just as...photo-14504766.187324 - |ucfirst

4. The woman behind "Mary Had a Little Lamb" is also responsible for Thanksgiving's recognition as a national holiday.

In 1863, writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale convinced President Abraham Lincoln to officially declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She wrote countless articles and letters to persuade the president, and the rest is history!

6. We have a Good Housekeeping illustrator to thank for the...photo-16510042.187324 - |ucfirst

7. In 1939, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the third Thursday in November, not the fourth.

You might think President Franklin Roosevelt could predict the future, as he channeled a Black Friday mindset in making this decision. Even though the holiday had been celebrated on the fourth Thursday since its official recognition decades before, Roosevelt bumped it up a week, which added seven more shopping days to the holiday season. Americans didn't love the change, so it was officially, and legally, switched back in 1942.

7. In 1939, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the third Thursday in...photo-7196508.187324 - |ucfirst

8. A Thanksgiving mix-up inspired the first TV dinners.
In 1953, a Swanson employee accidentally ordered a colossal shipment of Thanksgiving turkeys — 260 tons, to be exact. To get rid of them all, salesman Gerry Thomas came up with the idea of filling 5,000 aluminum trays with the turkey – along with cornbread dressing, gravy, peas and sweet potatoes. The trays were sold for 98 cents each and were a hit. Within one year, over 10 million were sold. less

8. A Thanksgiving mix-up inspired the first TV dinners.
In 1953, a Swanson employee accidentally ordered a colossal shipment of Thanksgiving turkeys — 260 tons, to be exact. To get rid of them all, salesman ... more

We hate to break it to you, but that's about three to four times the amount of fat you should eat in a day.

11. You might consume up to 229 grams of fat during the big meal.

We hate to break it to you, but that's about three to four times the amount of fat you should eat in a day.

11. You might consume up to 229 grams of fat during the big meal....photo-7195722.187324 - |ucfirst

12. The turkeys pardoned by the president go on to do some pretty cool things.

President George H.W. Bush pardoned the first turkey in 1989, and it's a tradition that persists today. But what happens to the lucky bird that doesn't get served with a side of mashed potatoes? In 2005 and 2009, the turkeys were sent to Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks to serve as grand marshals in their annual Thanksgiving parades. And from 2010 to 2013, they vacationed at Washington's Mount Vernon estate. Not bad!

You may have been taught in preschool that a turkey goes "gobble, gobble," but that's not entirely true. Only male turkeys, fittingly called gobblers, actually make the sound. Female turkeys cackle instead.

1. The first Thanksgiving was actually a three-day celebration.
Today, Thanksgiving is one day — maybe two, if you count Black Friday. But the Pilgrims wanted to party even harder. Gov. William Bradford organized the feast, inviting the Plymouth colonists' Native American allies. When the Wampanoag Indian guests came and joined the Pilgrims, they decided to extend the affair. less

1. The first Thanksgiving was actually a three-day celebration.
Today, Thanksgiving is one day — maybe two, if you count Black Friday. But the Pilgrims wanted to party even harder. Gov. William Bradford ... more